Automatic means for controlling the operation of jigs.



-W. A. REUTELHUBER.

AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF J|GS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 6. 1914. 1,1 18% htented June 15, 1915.

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AUTOMATIC MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF JIGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915.

Application filed October 6, 1914. Serial N0. 865,240.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM A. BEUTEL- HUBER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of VVillres-Barre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Means for Controlling the Operation of Jigs, of which the following is a specification.

In the operation of jigs for the seperation of materials of diflerent specific gravities from each other, such as coal and slate, it

happens frequently that no material for separation is being supplied to the jigs while the latter continue to operate. Such continued operation without a supply of material to be separated is an expense which it is desirable should be avoided.

It is the object of my invention to provide means whereby when no material is being supplied to the jig for separation the same may be thrown out of operation. To effect this purpose I provide means for controlling the operation of the jig which when no mixed coal and slate or other material is being delivered to the jig occupies a position which prevents the said jig from operating, but which means is adapted to be actuated by the weight of the mixed coal and slate or other material in its passage to the jig to place the latter in operation.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one form of a convenient embodiment of my invention, but it should be understood that the same is susceptible of embodiment in other forms and that my invention is not limited to any particular form of construction, the principle thereof being applicable to many forms of construction embodying different details of construction and arrangement. 7

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section of a structure embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; and Fig. at is a longitudinal section of a portion of the chute for supplying material to the jig and showing a portion of the means situated therein for controlling the operation of the jig mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the frame of the jig structure and 2 the water containing receptacle thereof which is supported upon and by the frame structure 1. The bottom of the receptacle 2 is provided with an opening which is closed by means of a valve 3 operated by means of a handle 4 in known manner.

5 designates a vibratory hopper having a perforated bottom which hopper receives the material, such as coal and slate, to be separated. Vibration of the hopper 5 is effected by means, not shown, having connection with the shaft 6. The connection between the shaft 6 and the hopper 5 is not shown as the same is of old and well known construction and constitutes no part of my present invention.

The shaft 6 is operated by means of a driving belt 7 which passes around the wheels 8 and 9 upon the shaft 6, the first of the said wheels 8 being rigidly secured to the said shaft while the latter, 9, is loosely mounted thereon constituting an idler or loose wheel. The mixed coal and slate are discharged into the jig hopper 5 from a supply chute 10 and rest upon the bottom thereof. The passage of the material forwardly over the bottom of the hopper may be controlled by the adjustable baffle plate 11 which projects toward the bottom of the said hopper.

Situated within the chute l0 and intermediate its ends are two plates 12 and 13 provided with flanges 14c and 15 at their opposite edges, which flanges are located substantially in contact with the sides of the chute 10. The flanges 15 are pivoted at their upper ends, as indicated at 16, to the sides of the chute 10. The lower or forward end of the plate 13 overlaps the upper or rear end of the plate 12, as indicated at 17 in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and the lower ends of the flanges 15, upon the plate 13, project inside of the upper rear ends of the flanges 14: upon the plate 12. The plates 12 and 13 are not connected to the chute 10 except at the points 16 so that the said plates are pivotally related to the said chute. The lower end of the plate 12, as is obvious, is movable back and forth upon the bottom of the chute 10. The overlapping ends of the flanges 14 and 15 upon the plates 12 and 13 are secured together by means of rivets 20. These rivets also secure the lower end of What may be termed a bail 21, to the said flanges.

22 designates a connecting bar which is connected at its lower end to the upper part of the bail 21 and at its upper end, as indicated at 23, to the outer swinging end of an arm 24 having rigid connection with an oscillatable shaft 25 supported in bearings 27. The said shaft 25 is provided with a downwardly extending arm 30 having connection at 31 to a shifter 32 which is in en gagement with the belt 7, and may be operated to shift the latter from the driving wheel 8 to the idler wheel 9, or from the latter to the former.

35 designates a bar supported intermediate its ends upon an upright pivoted support 36, the said support 36 being pivotally connected at 37 to the lower part of the chute.

35 designates a brace between the bar 35 and the pivoted support 36. It should be understood that the support 36 may be pivotally supported upon any other suitable support or part of the structure. The horizontally extending bar 35 is provided at one end with a weight 40 which is adjustable so that it may be moved toward and from a vertical plane extending through the pivot K 37. The opposite end of the horizontal bar 35 beyond the vertical plane through the pivot is connected at 41 to the connecting rod or bar 22.

As illustrated, there is no material in the chute upon the plates 12 and 13 so that the weight 40, acting through the horizontal bar 35, is permitted to cause upward movement of the connecting rod 22 to thereby cause an upward pivotal movement of the lever arm 2a to cause rotation of the shaft 25 and consequent inward pivotal movement of the deending arm 30, which causes a movement of the belt shifter 32 to carry the belt 7 into engagement with the idler wheel 9, as shown in the drawing, with the result that the jig is thrown out ofoperation. As soon, however, as coal or other material begins to pass down and along the chute l0 and to pile up on the plates 12 and 13 the latter are depressed so that they lie flat upon the bottom of the chute 10, causing a downward movement of the connecting bar 22 and movements of the parts 24:, 25 and 30 in directions the reverse of those just described, so as to cause the driving belt 7 to be moved from the idler wheel 9 on to the driving wheel 8, the jig being thereby immediately placed in operation and so continues as long as the material, such as mixed coal and slate, is traveling down the chute 10, and rests upon the plates 12 and 13 in sufficient quantity to hold the same in their lowermost position, flat upon the surface of the bottom of said chute.

The quantity of material necessary, or, in other words, the force necessary to hold the plates 12 and 13 down in position to place the jig in operation may be varied and con-- trolled by adjusting the weight 40 upon the horizontal bar 35. If the weight is near position.

to a vertical plane through the pivot 37 a less force will be necessary to depress the plates 12 and 13 than if the said weight were farther away from such plane.

I claim 1. In a jig having a chute for delivering material thereto the combination of a tripping means situated in said chuteand pivoted thereto and adapted to be actuated by material in said chute as it travels to said jig, driving means for operating said jig, and means intermediate said tripping means and said driving means for shifting the latter into and out of operative position.

2. In a jig having a chute for delivering material thereto an articulated member situated in said chute and having pivotal connection at its upper end to said chute and its lower end having movable relation to the said chute, driving means for operating the said jig and automatically operating means having connection with the intermediate portion of said articulated means for throwing the said driving means into and out of operation. 7 V

3.In a jig for separating materials of difierent specific gravities having a chute for delivering the material thereto, driving means for operating the said jig, means for holding the said driving means normally out of operation and means adapted to be actuated by the weight of material as it travels down the said chute to the said jig for operating the second-named means to throw the said driving means into operative l. In a j different specific gravities having a chute for delivering material thereto, the combination of driving means for operating the said 1 g, the said driving means normally in inoperaweight'of the material in the said chute for shifting the secondnamed means into position to move the said driving means into operative position. i

5. In a jig for separating materials of different specific gravities having a chute for delivering material thereto, the combination of driving means for operating the said jig, means for normally holding the said driving means ininoperative position, plates situated in the said chute and having adjacent ends pivoted to each other, the lower end of the upper plate overlappingthe upper end of the lower plate and the upper end of the upper plate being pivoted to the said chute while the lower end of the lower plate rests slidably upon the bottom of the said chute, and means for connecting the second-named means with the said plates whereby the weight of material traveling down the said chute to the said jig causes the said second means to operate to move for separating materials of means including a weight for holding 'tive position, and means actuated by the the said driving means into operative position.

6. In a jig for separating materials of different specific gravities having a chute for delivering said material thereto, the combination of driving means foroperating the said jig, means including a pivotally supported weight for holding the said driving means normally in inoperative position, and means situated in the said chute and adapted to be actuated by the material therein as it travels to the said jig for causing movement of the said pivotally supported weight and parts associated therewith for moving the said driving means into operative position.

In a jig for separating materials of different specific gravities having a chute for delivering said material thereto, the combination of a driving belt for operating the said jig, an oscillatable shaft having a shifter arm thereon for shifting the said driving belt and the said shaft also having another arm angularly related to the said shifter arm, movable means situated in the said chute and adapted to be depressed by the weight of material in the said chute as it travels to the said jig, connecting means between the said movable means and the said second arm whereby depression of the said movable means occasions movement of the said arm and the said shifter arm to move the said driving belt into operative position, and a pivotally supported weight having connection with the said connecting means for causing movement of the latter and of the said arms for moving the said driving belt into inoperative position when the weight of the material in the chute is removed from the said movable members.

8. In a stop mechanism for controlling the operation of a jig, the combination of movable means adapted to be moved into position to place the apparatus in operation by the weight of material as it is fed to said apparatus, means having connection with the said movable means and being operatively related to means for operating said apparatus, and means having connection with the secondnamed means for automatically causing movement thereof and of the first-named means upon the cessation of the feeding of material to the said apparatus.

9. In a stop mechanism for controlling the operation of a jig, the combination of movable means adapted to be moved by the weight of material as it is fed to the said apparatus, an oscillatable shaft having arms projecting therefrom said arms being angularly related to each other, a connection between one of said arms and the said movable means, a connection between the other of said arms and means for operating the said apparatus, an arm pivoted intermediate its ends one end of the said arm being connected to the first-named connection and the other portion of said arm beyond its pivot being provided with a weight which weight occasions movement of the said connection to move the said movable means in a direction opposite that in which it is moved by the weight of said material as it is fed to said apparatus.

10. In a stop mechanism for controlling the operation of a jig, the combination of a chute, plates pivotally connected with each other and the upper end of one of said plates having connection with the said chute, means having connection with the said plates for controlling the operation of the said apparatus, said means including a device for holding the said plates normally in flexed relation with respect to the said chute whereby the portions thereof intermediate the opposite ends thereof are spaced from the said chute.

11. In a stop mechanism for controlling the operation of a jig, the combination of a chute, plates situated in said chute which plates are pivoted to each other and the up per one of which is pivoted at its upper end to the said chute, a connection between the said plates and means for operating the said apparatus whereby the operation of the latter is controlled, and means tending to hold the said plates in flexed relation to the said chute whereby the portions thereof intermediate their opposite ends are spaced from the said chute, said last mentioned means including an upright pivoted support, an arm secured to the upper end of said support, one end of the said arm being connected with the said connection and a weight secured to the portion of said arm beyond the said support.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto set my hand this 21 day of September, A. D. 1914:.

WILLIAM A. REUTELHUBER.

In the presence of H. F. Gnnnns, D. A. FELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

